Crate-advancing mechanism



NOV. 3 1925- W. W. BlRNSTOCK CRATE ADVANCING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 2, 19225 6 Sheets-Sheet l l hit Nov. 3, 1925.l

W. W. BIRNSTOCK CRATE ADVANCING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm. 3W M .M

Nov. 3 1925- W. W. BIRNSTOCK CRATE ADvANcING MECHANIsu Filed Jan. 2, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 u Il Nov. 3, 1925.

w. w. BIRNsToCK CRATE Anvmcma uncmmrsu Filed Jan. 2, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 altem,

Novo 3 W. W. BIRNSTOCK CRATE ADVANCING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 2, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Nov. 3, 1925.

W. W. BIRNSTOCK CRATE ADVANCING MECHANISM 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Jan. 2, 1923 Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE.

WILLIAM W. BIRNSTOCK. OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO YORK MILK MA- CHINERY COMPANY, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

Application filed January 2, 1923.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, VVLLLIAM YV. Binns'roeig, avc-itif/len otl the United States, residing at York, in the county ot York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements in Cratedvancing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to mechanism tor feeding or advancing boxes, crates or other articles progressively and by a step-by-step movement, and it is applicable more especially to bottle washing and similar machines, wherein the bottles are contained in crates or boxes and are ted or advanced through the machine in a manner which presents the crates ot' bottles successively in operative relation with the bottle washing devices or other mechanisms ot the machine. The invention pertains particularly to crate-feeding means which embodies crate-engaging dogs carried by reciprocatory feeding members, it providing novel and improved mechanism by whichrthese dogs are set in operative crateengaging position preparatory to the advancing movement ot' the crate feeding members. as well as set in inoperative position to clear and pass the crates preparatory to the return vmovement of the feeding members, both operations, according tothe present invention. being performed by the action ot a properly timed operating part ot the machine, preferably by a cam which is appropriately shaped to perform both ot these operations.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements oi parts, all as will be hereinatiter more tally described, the, lfeatures ot' novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end ot the speciiication.

ln the accompanyingdrawings Figures l and l show, in top plan, the delivery and receiving ends respectively ot crate feeding mechanism construe-tred in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 represents a transverse section on the line Q-2 ot Figure 1 and looking toward the righi', l

Figurey Si is a perspective view of the dog setting or reversing mechanism -and its .actuating cam:

Serial No. 610,358.

Figure l is a side elevation ot' the crate-feeding means and the cooperating dog setting mechanism, the crate-feeding means being about to commence its return stro-ke and the dog-setting mechanism being about to set the dogs in inoperative or crate clearing position; Y

Figuie 5 is a View similar to Figure 4, but showing the crate-feeding means as having commenced its return stroke and the dog-setting mechanism in actuated position after setting the dogs in inoperative position;

Figure t) is a view similar to Figures #l and 5, but showing the crate-feeding means at` the end ot its return stroke, the dogsetting mechanism being shown in the full and dotted lines, respectively, in the positions which it occupies prior to reversal of the dogs to set them in operative position and after reversal of the dogs which sets them in operative crate-engaging position:

Figure T is a detail view of the cam and cam follower which actuate the dog-setting or reversing mechanism, the cam in this ligure being shown in the position which it occupies when the crate-feeding means and dog-setting mechanism are in the position represented in Figure 4: and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, but showing the cam in the position which it occupies when the crate-feeding means dog-setting mechanism are in the position shown in Figure Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

The present invention is applicable to machines ot' various kinds tov the purpose of intermittently advancing a series ot articles, as tor example, bottle crates or boxes. lt particularly applicable to machines tor washing and cleaning milk bottles while contained in crates, and in the present instance the invention shown applied, as an example` to a bottle washing machine. ot the type disclosed in my Patent No. 1,435,046, granted November i', 1922, reference being made to that patent for a complete disclosure of a machine of such type. lt is to be understood, however` that the invention is not restricted to bottle washing machines ot that particular type. and it will also be understood that while the preferred embodiment of the invention i shown in the accompanying drawings, equivalent constructions are contemplated and these will be included within the scope of the claims.

ln the present instance, the bottle Washing machine to which the invention is shown applied, and which may be constructed substantially as shown and described in my patent above referrel to, comprises a base or frame l which may` support the various mechanisms of the machine, and a housing 2 which may enclose such mechanisms in the machine, and also the crate-feeding mechanism, the machine being of suitable length and being adapted to receive the bottle-containing crates at one end, the right hand end in Figure 1, and to discharge or deliver the bottle containing crates at the other end, the left hand end in Figure l. The bottle washing and cleansing devices may be constructed and arranged substantially as shown and described in said patent.

The cratefeeding means may be similar to that shown and described in said patent` the crates (shown in dotted lines in certain of the figures) being adapted to rest on and to travel longitudinally along a pair of rails f3 which may be mounted on mem bers l, the latter being mounted on or forming part of the base or main frame 1. The longitudinal men'lbers 4 also guide and supA port for longitudinal reciprocation a pair of crate-advancing bars or members 5, these bars or members being of sufficient length to enable the dogs or crate-engaging devices thereon to operate upon the desired number of crates. The crate-engaging dogs are positively mounted, at 7, on the upper .side of the respective reciprocatory bars 5S, the bars 5 being `located immediately .-utside of the crate-supporting rails 3, the dogs being pivoted so that they may swing into and out of the path of the crates resting` on the rails 3. The dogs on each reciprocatory bar are connected for simultaneous movement by a bar or member 8, this bar beingr pivotally connected to the outer ends of the respective dogs at the points 9. B v this construction, relative longitudinal movement between the bar 8 and the crate-advancing bar 5 will cause the dogs connected thereto to simultaneouslv swing either outwardly, so as to clear the path of the crates resting on the rails 3, or to swing simultaneously inwardly or into substantially the positions shown in Figures 1 and 1, so as to engage the rear sides of a row of crates resting on the rails 3 and to advance this row of Crates When the crate-advancing bars 5 are reciprocated in the forward or crate-advancing direction. Then the dogs occupy the latter position, the thrust or load imposed upon them by the application of a force sufficient to advance the crates may be sustained by stops l0 ou the sides of the dogs which may come against the outer sides of the respective crate-advancing bars 5. The crates to be advanced are introduced successively or one at a time at the right-hand end (Fig. 1) in a position to be picked-up by the pair of dogs G on the extreme right-hand ends of the reciprocatory bars 5, and the crates, after passing through the machine, are delivered successively at the left-hand end (Fig. 1), from Which point the crates may be removed by hand or by any other suitable means.

'l'he crate-advancing bars 5, during the operation of the machine, are reciprocated preferably by a regular to-and-fro motion obtained from a crank. Any suitable driving means may be employed for the purpose, For erample, such driving means .in the present instance comprises a rocker arm 10a which is pivoted at 10b to a relatively fixed frame, as shown, and is operatively connected by a link ll to a cross member 12, the latter connecting the pair of crate-advancing bars A cross-head carried by a crarli pin lf3 operates in the rocker arm, this crank pin being fixed to a gear 13a which if; keyed or otherwise fixed to a shaft 14 andA driven by a pinion 14a Which latter is fixed on a shaft 15. The shaft 15 has a gear 15 fixed thereon which meshes with a pinion 16, the latter heilig fixed to a gez r 16'(1 and the pinion 16 and gear lo# being loosely mounted on the shaft 14. .fhe gear 16a meshes with a pinion 17, the latter lacing* fixed to a gear 17, the pinion 1i" and gear 17 being loosely mounted on the shaft l5, The gear 1Ta is driven by a pinion '18, which is preferably mounted loosely on the shaft of a motor 19, and is driven therefrom through a friction drive 2t! which will transmit the amount of power required to operate the crate actuating bars 5 but will slip and thus avoid injury to the machine should it jam because of a defective crate or from some other cause. The motor, operating through the reduction gearing described, rocks the arm 10" about its pivot, thus causing regular reciprocatory movements of the crate-advancing bars Mechanism is provided which is capable of operating positively and with certainty to set the dogs in operative or crate-engaging position, preparatory to each forward or crate-advancing movement of the bars 5, and for reversing the dogs so as tu clear the crates preparatory to or at the commencement of each return stroke of the bars 5. The mechanism for reversing the docs as to clear the crates preparatory lo or at the commencement of the return stroke of the bars 5 may be substantially like that shoun and described in my prior application abovereferred to, For example. a rock shaft may be suitably mounted in bearings Q2 formed in or supported by the upper part of the frame of the machine, `this rock shaft carrying` a pair of arms the lower ends of which are arranged to swing' to-and-i'ro, in line with the ends of the respective dog'- setting bars the lower ends of this bar 22% may be provided 'with set screws Q4 for adjustment purposes, a crank is fixed to the rock shaft 2l, and this crank is Connected lo7 a rod 26 to a lever 2T, the latter being' pivoted at .28 on a suitable bracket fixed to a relatively stationary part of the machine, the lever 2T being' rocked at theproper times and to the proper degree by a projection 29 formed on a cam B0. The cam 3() is fixed to the cam shaft 3l, which latter is driven continuously by the one-to-one ratio gearing: 32 driven from the shaft 14, so that the cam shaft makes one complete revolution to each to-and-fro reciprocation of the crate-ad vancing' bars 5. The cam 30 is so set .on the cam shaft andthe cam projection 29 is so shaped that immediately after the crateadvancing' bars 5 commence their return movement from the `position shown in Figure 4, the rock shaft 21 will be rotated to swungr the arms 23 into engagement with the ends of the respective dog-controllingl bars and when these bars 5 have receded to an extent sutiicient to'enable the dogs (i to clear the corners of the crates resting on the rails 3, the arms 23 are quickly swung to'ward the right, from 'the position shown in Figure 4 to the vposition shown in Figure 5, the lower ends of the arms 28 moving at a speed greater than the speed of the bars 5, in ronsequence of which the dog-controlling lrars S will he shifted'toward the right, relativelyv to the hars 5 and the dogs will be swung outwardly into crate-'clearing position. Any suitable means, such for eX ample, as a 'weight 33 connected to the crank 25, may be used to hold the roller or cam follower 34 on the lever 27 in contact with the periphery of the cam 30.

vWhen the bars 5 reach the limit of their return stroke. it becomes necessary vto again actuate the dogs so that they will assume positions to engage the rear sides of the row of crates. The present invention provides improved means operative from the same cam $30 for the setting of the dogs in operative position` when the bars 5 reach the limit of their return movement, whereby the dogs are swung' quickly and with certainty into operative position. The improved mechanism just described comprises in the present instance 'a pair of rods 35 which are pivotally connectedito the respective arms 2? and the upper ends o'fa pair of rodvers` 536, the latter being pivoted .intermediately, at 3T. to brackets which iatter are bolted or otherwise fixed tto a relatively stationary part of the machine.

i5 fr-air of ha rs 539 ,are pivotally connected, at 4t).

to the respective rockers 36, these bars lieing' of sufficient length to partly overlie the dog-setting' bars 8. The bars 8 are adapted to slide or reciprocate beneath the overlying' free ends of the bars 3f) and means is provided by which the bars 39 may operate to reverse the position of the bars 8 and to thus set the dogs in operative positionpafter the crate-advancing bars or members 5 have reached the limit of their return movement. Preferably and as shown in the present instance, each dog-setting bar 8 has a pair of blocks or abutments 4l and 42 secured on its upper side and in longitudinally spaced relation, a pair of rails 4? are secured to the tops of these blocks` they being spaced laterally to provide a slot 44 between them. and the free end of each bar S9 is provided with a hooked end 45 which is adapted to project downwardly through and to work freely in the slot 44, a pin 46 being' preferably provided on the free end of each bar 39 below the rails 4B, for the purpose of retaining: the hooked end of each bar 3S) in working' position beneath the rails 43. During the to-and-fro reciprocations of the bars and 8, the bars 39 may rest on the blocks 4l and slide freely there on. The blocks 42 are so located as to Clear the hooked end 45 of each bar 39 when the bars 8 reach the limit of their left-hand i'uovement, as is shown in Figure 4, but the blocks 4l are so located on the bars S that when the crate-advancing bars 5 reach the limit of their return movement, the hooked ends 45 on the hars 3.() will engage or will be immediately adjacent to the blocks 41, as is shown by the dotted lines in yFigure (i, so that movement of the bars 39 'toward the left in Figure G will cause the hooked ends 45 of these bars to immediately engae'c the blocks 4l and to shift the respective bars 8 toward the left or into the full line position shown in Figure (i, the dogs (5 being thereby swung' inwardly or into the crate-engaging' position shown in Figures l and la. The movement of the bars 39 to the proper extent and at the propel' time to thus set the dogs in operative position is accomplished by the rockers 3G and rods 35 which receive motion from the arms 2255 and the motion of the arms J3 at the proper time and to the proper extent to perform this operation is produced by the projection 47 on the cam 30, this project ion being; suitably shaped and appropriately located relatively to the projection 29 thereon.

The mode of operation of the crate-feeding mechanism as herein shown and described. is briefly as follows: Assuming the crate-advancing' hars 5 to have a regular to and-fro reciprocatory movement and that a row of crates has been fully advanced alone' the rails 3 by a full stroke of the crate-feeding bars 5. thus bringing the parts into the Lil) position shown in Figure 4, the next operation involves the commencement of the return stroke of the bars 4 and the setting of the dogs 6 to clear the crates during the first part of the return stroke of the bars 5. lVhen the bars 5 reach the limit of their forward or crate-advancing stroke, the lefthand ends (Fig. 4) of the bars 8 will be in engagement with or immediately adjacent to the set screws 24 on the lower ends of the arms 23, and the roller or cam follower 84 will occupy substantially the position shown in Figure 7, relatively to the projection 29 on the cam 30. As the bars 5 and 8 commence their return stroke, the concurrent rotation of the cam 30 in the direction indicated by the arrow, (Fig. 7) will cause the projection 29 on the cam to displace the roller 34, in consequence of which the arms 23 will swing toward the right in Figure 4, and when the dogs have been retracted Sulliciently with respect to the rear sides of the crates, the cam projection 29 imparts to the arms 23 a motion which is more rapid than the return motion of the bars 5 and 8, as the result of which the bars 8 are shifted toward the right relatively to the bars 5. from the position shown in Figure 5, the dogs being thereby swung outwardly into inoperative or crate-clearing position. The bars 5 continue their return stroke with the dogs occupying such inoperative or crate-clearing position, but when the return stroke of these parts is completed, the hooked ends 45 on the bars 89 will engage or will be immediately adjacent to the blocks 4l on the bars S and at this moment. and preferably before the forward or working stroke of the bars 5 commences, the bars 39 are drawn suddenly to the left, from the dotted line position to the full line position shown in Figure 6, this motion of the bars 39 being derived from the arms 23 through the rockers 36 and rods 35, and the arms 23 receiving their motion for the performance of this operation from the projection 47 on the cam 30 which engages the roller or cam follower 34 and displaces it at this moment in substantiallv the manner shown in Figures 2 and 3. The dogs 6 are thereby set quickly and positively into operative or crate-advancing position before the comlnencement of the working stroke of the crate-advancing bars 5. It will be understood that the swinging movement of the arms 23 under the action of the cam projection 29, which takes place at the commencement of the return stroke of the bars 5, causes a merely idle operation of the bars 39, as the hooked ends 45 of these bars, at that time, are not in operative relation with the blocks or abutments 41.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that means is provided which is operated bv the same cam to not only set the crateadvancing dogs in inoperative or crate-clearing position at the commencement of the return stroke of the crate-advancing means, but which is also operative to set the dogs in operative or crate-engaging position after the return stroke of the crate-advancing means has been substantially completed, at which time the crate-advancing means is stationary or substantially so, and the pairs of dogs occupy positions at substantially the maximum distances in rear of the respective crates. Consequently, the amount of clearance provided between the pivotal centers of the dogs and the rear corners of the respective crates is at or near the maximum, and hence the dogs can be made of greater length than would be practicable if the dogs were set during any considerable movement of the crate-advancing means, thus insuring increased area of contact between the dogs and the crates. and thereby avoiding danger of injuring the crates which are usually constructed of wood; and, moreover, greater regularity and smoothness in operation results from the performance of both dogsctting operations from the same cam.

l claim as my invention l. Crate-advancing means comprising, in combination, a reciprocatory member carrying a dog movable relatively to it, a dog setting clement movable with said member, a pair of actuating devices movable in reverse direct ions relatively to each other and with respect to which said element is movable during the reciprocating movements of said member to bring said elem-ent successively into operative position to be engaged by one of said devices when said member is substantially at the commencement of its crateadvancing stroke and into position to be engaged by the other of said devices when said member is substantially at the commencement of its return stroke, and means for actuating said devices to set the dog respectively in crate-engaging and crate-clearing positions.

2. Crate-advancing means comprising, iu combination, a reciprocatory member carrying a dog movable relatively to it, an abutment connected to and movable in unison with the dog, a bar arranged to ride on said abutment during the reciprocating movement of said member and having an operating part to which said abutment is presented when said member is substantially at the commencement of its crate-actuating stroke, and means for actuating said bar to shift said abutment and thereby set the dog in crate-engaging position.

3. Crate-advancing means comprising, in combination, a reciprocatory member carrying dogs movable relatively to it, a dogsetting bar connected to the dogs and movable with said member, a guide carried by said bar and having an abutment toward one end, an actuating bar having an end collO lli

operating with said guide and arranged to be engaged by said abutment when said member is toward the commencement ot its crate-advancing stroke, and means tor actuating said bar to displace said abutment relatively to said member and to thus set the dogs in crate-engaging position.

4. Crate-advancing means comprising, in combination, a reciprocatory member Icarrying dogs movable relatively to it, driving means for reciprocating said member, a dog setting element reciprocatory with said member, a pair of actuating devices connected to move in reverse directions relatively to ea'ch other and with respect to which said element is movable to bring it into operative position relatively to the respective actuating devices to set the dogs in operative crate-engaging position preparatory to the crate-advancing stroke ot said member and to set the dogs in inoperative crate-clearing position substantially at the commencement ot the return stroke ot' said member, and means driven in timed relation with said driving means tor operating said devices.

5. Crate-advancing means comprsing, in combination, a reciprocatory member carrying dogs movable relatively to it, driving means for reciprocating said member, dogsetting mechanism, and a pair of actuating elements driven in reverse directions relatively to each other and in timed relation 'with said driving means for actuating said dog-setting mechanism to set the dogs in operative crate-engaging position when said member is substantially at the commencement of its crate-advancing stroke and for subsequently actuating said mechanism to set the dogs in inoperative position when said member is substantially at the commencement of its return stroke.

G. Crate-advancing means cimiprising, in combination, a reciprocatory member carrying dogs movable relatively to it, a cooperative dog-setting element, a pair of actuating elements connected to move in reverse directions relatively to each other, and means operative in timed relation with the strokes of said member to actuate said actuating elements while said member is at the commencement ot' its advancing stroke to cause one of said actuating elements to operate on the dog setting element and thus set the dogs in operative position and to subsequently actuate said actuating elements While said member is substantially at the commencement of its return stroke to cause the other ot said actuating elements to operate on the dog-setting element and thus set the dogs in inoperative position.

7. In crate-advancing means comprising a reeiprocatory member carrying dogs movable relatively to it, and a dog setting element reciprocable with and movable relatively to said member, a pair of actuating elements connected to move in reverse directions relatively to each other to actuate the dog-setting element to respectively set the dogs in operative position when said member is substantially at the commencement of one of its strokes and to set the dogs in inoperative position when said member is substantially at` the commencement of its other stroke.

8. Crate-advancing means comprising a reciprocatory member carrying` dogs movable relatively to it, a dog setting bar operatively connected to the dogs and reciprocable with said member, a reciprocatory arm adapted to engage said dog-setting bar when said member is substantially at the commencement of one of its strokes and to set the dogs in inoperative position, a bar connected to said arm to move in reverse direction therewith and adapted to engage the dog-setting bar when said member is substantially at the commencement of its other stroke and to set the dogs in operative crate-engaging position, and means :t'or actuating said arm successively and in timed relation with said reciprocatory member.

9. Crate-advancing means comprising a reciprocatory member carrying dogs movable relatively to it, a dog-setting bar reciprocable with said member, an arm adapted to swing into engagement With the dog-setting bar when said member is substantially at the commencement of one of its strokes to set the dogs in inoperative position, an actuating bar, a rocking lever connecting said actuating bar to said arm and operative to reciprocate said actuating bar in a reverse direction to the direction ot movement of said arm and to cause said actuating bar to engage the dog-setting bar when said member is substantially at the commencement of its other stroke and thereby set the dogs in operative crate-engaging position, and means including a cam which is shaped to impart successive movements to said arm in timed relation with the reeiprocations ot said member.

Iu testimony whereotI l have hereunto set my hand.

lVILLIAM lV. BlRNST'OCK, 

